It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if they are being sent their to observe US military tactics. Theyt probably are actually war journalists, but they most definitely are being sent to carefully observe the forces and gather as much information about the US forces as can be obtained without implicating China in espionage. Do I think there is anything wrong woithb this? No. They will have the same privileges as any other war journalist, and they can be there if Saddam lets them be there as long as he is in power. I doubt China is actually trying to aid Iraq, because they share no common interests, and if Iraq really is supporting Al-Quaida now that makes them one huge pain for China who is being targeted by terrorists for their treatment of Islamic residents. China won’t have a strategic edge over us by spying on our ground forces, and it is likely our CIA will manage to learn just as much about them as they learn about us.

Nathaniel has a point. The CIA’s “rogue’s gallery” of Chinese intelligence personnel could probably use an updating anyway.

What they are probably after is US missile/bomb technology.

Supposedly after Clinton’s missile strike against Afghanistan/Osama, many of the missiles didn’t explode, and they sold them to China.

(Not that I blame China. If I were China, I would do the exact same thing. )